Casket display racks or supports



May 24, 1960 J. T. DAVIS CASKET DISPLAY RACKS OR SUPPORTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 25, 1959 INVENTOR .zamv WON/-75 DA'V/S BY W f TTORNEY May 24, 1960 J. T. DAVIS CASKET DISPLAY RACKS O R SUPPORTS 2 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Nov. 25, 1959 u I L J.I

'T l l l I I I I l INVENTOR JOI/A WOMKSMWQ 2,937,768 v CASKETDISPLAY RACKS on SUPPORTS John Thomas Davis, Waco, Tex., assignor of one-half each to Texas'Coflin Company, Waco, Tex., a corporation of Texas, and Davis Iron Works, Inc., Waco, Tex., a corporation of Texas Filed Nov. 25, 1959, Ser. No. 855,401

Claims. (Cl. 211-475) lect the casket to be used in the funeral- Because of the many models and types of caskets that are for sale, and because of the large dimensions of most caskets, their display presents serious problems. On the one hand the caskets can not be stacked, as their interiors must be on view; on the other hand the mortician must make effective use of the limited space in the display parlor in order to make possible the inspection of many different types and models. Hence for'some years, caskets on display have been set on racks. .It is quite common for these display racks to support either two or four caskets, arranged on two levels.

The present invention aims to provide an improved display rack for caskets. One of the major improvements is the provision of a rack for supporting two caskets, an upper and a lower, having a dolly (wheeled support) attached thereto for the lower casket, said dolly being capable of movement to a position within the confines of the rack and being movable outwardly, forwardly of the rack, to permit closer inspection of the casket carried thereby. All-such movements of the dolly are straight line movements, which because of the unique design of-my rack, may take place without interference from the upper casket. Another object is the provision of a display rack which is foldable to facilitate compact packaging for shipment and storage. Other objects will be understood from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification.

In said drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the rack of my invention, showing the dolly moved forwardly and showing in phantom two caskets supported respectively on the dolly and on the top of the rack;

Fig. 1a is an end elevation of the rack showing the dolly and the casket supported thereby in the innermost position, both caskets being shown in phantom;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the rack per se, the dolly being in the outer position as in Fig. 1, showing in dotted lines the innermost position of the dolly;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the rack, with the dolly in the position of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring particularly to the drawings, my display rack is an open rigid frame preferably made principally of steel bars and links, all with a rustproof finish, preferably dull black so as to be as inconspicuous as possible. The two ends of the rack are preferably two channel bars 10, 11 each bent to be U-shaped, these ends being about 48 inches apart. The two arms of each U-shaped bar are parallel and horizontal, about 30 in. apart, vertically. The flanges of the channel bars 10, 11 are presented outwardly, and the two uppermost flanges 12, 13 of the ice A channel bars provide spaced flat supports for, a casketC;

A pair of crossed links 14, 15 'of equal length-are fixed, at their opposite ends by screw-bolts 16 to flanges 17 I welded or otherwise fixed to the webs 18, 19 of the re spective channel bars 10, 11. A screw-bolt 20 may unite the crossed links 14, 15 at their crossing." The screw-:' bolts 16, 20 are readily removed, which permits the'links to be disconnected, when it is desired to take the rack apart for shipment or storage.- Crossed links 14, 15 are supported below the plane of support of casket C so that the latter does-not contact the crossed links when it lies on the uppermost flanges 12, 13. Another pair of crossed links 21, 22 of equal length are-connected at their ends by screw-bolts 23 to flanges 24 welded to the inside surfaces of the vertical webs 25, 26 of channel bars 10, 11, and another screw-bolt 27 unites links 21, 22 at. their crossing. The described two pairs of crossed links provide a strong, light, rigid connection forthe two channel bars 10, 11, maintaining them parallel to each other in spaced vertical planes, and immovable; yet all the parts are readily knocked-down or separated for shipment, etc.

. Secured to the rear of the rack at the bottom is a straight rod 28. This rod is mounted so as tobe removable; for example it may have screw'threads'on both ends and said ends may be passed through bores in the vertical webs of channel bars 10, Hand then secured by nuts. A lazy tongs 30, has one end of one link secured to rod 28, as indicated at 32, while theend'of'the crossing link 33 is made slidable on rod 28, for'example by means of a sleeve 34 having a flange 35, a screw-bolt 3 6 uniting flange 35 with link 33. ,Thus the lazy tongs is extensible horizontally when pulled outwardly, but is removably secured. to rod 28. A stop 37 prevents sliding of sleeve 34 on rod 28 in one direction beyonda certain point, and thus limits theamount of extension'p'f theilazy tongs. When desired, the lazy tongsmay be folded or collapsed inside the frame at the bottom, 'as will be clear from Fig. 2. I

At the forward or outer end of the lazy tongs a dolly 40 is secured. This dolly is preferably anoblong frame presenting smooth upper surfaces on which a casket C' may lie in a horizontal position. At the four corners of the oblong frame, on the under side, four wheels or casters 41 are fixed, so that the dolly may roll over the floor F on which the rack stands. The wheels or caster-s have ball-bearings so that rolling of the dolly carrying a heavy casket is made easy. A straight rod 42 is fixed to the dolly on the inside, and a sleeve 43 is slidable on rod 42 and has a' screwbolt connection 44 with a link 45 at the outer end of the lazy tongs. The other link 46 at said outer end is connected to a lug 47 fixed to rod 42. Thus the lazy tongs is free to expand and collapse, the-sleeves 43, 34 being then slidable on their respective rods 42, 28.

When the lazy tongs is fully collapsed, the dolly 40 is wholly inside the confines of the frame-like structure but is supported on the floor. The casket C carried by the dolly 40 then extends between the two channel bars 10, 11 directly below casket C, and projects out of both open ends of the frame. When it is desired to closely inspect casket C, a pull on it will cause it to move outwardly with the dolly, and its cap or lid may then be opened. All movements of the caskets C while on the dolly take place without affecting casket C, which may be open or closed and may be viewed independently. The rack thus facilitates careful inspection of two caskets, yet takes the fioor space of one casket.

It will be clear that the described construction may be duplicated in a unitary display rack, with provision for supporting four caskets, two above, twobelow on dollies which may be rolled outwardly in opposite directions. Other changes and modifications will be obvious to those .Patented May, 24,, teen,

skilled in the art. I do not wish to be limited to the specific construction described above, which is merely one of many constructions within the scope of the appended claims, which define my invention.

' Having described one embodiment of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. A display rack for caskets and the like comprising, in combination, an elongated rigid frame-like structure open at its front and two ends and having means at its top providing an elevated support for a casket lying in a horizontal position; a lazy tongs connected at one end to the lower rear part of said structure and extensible horizontally through the front of said structure; and a dolly for supporting a second casket lying in a horizontal position, said dolly being connected to the other end of said lazy tongs; the two end connections of said lazy tongs permitting free extension of the lazy tongs well beyond the front of the structure, and also collapsing of the lazy tongs to be wholly inside the structure; the parts being so constructed and arranged that when the lazy tongs is collapsed and the dolly is inside said structure a casket supported on the dolly projects beyond both open ends of said structure, said dolly also being movable forwardly of the front of said structure sufficiently far to permit a casket thereon to be viewed from the top and all four sides; the first-named casket also being similarly viewable at the same time.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein the casketsupporting dolly is an oblong frame adapted to support an overlying casket and having wheels or casters secured underneath at each of its four corners, so that the dolly may roll over a floor as it is pulled outwardly from said structure.

3. A display rack for caskets and the like comprising, in combination, a rigid frame adapted to support a casket lying on top of it in a horizontal position; a straight rod secured to said frame at the bottom rear portion thereof; the bottom and front of said frame being open; a lazy tongs having one member fixed to said straight rod and another member slidable on said rod, so that the lazy tongs is extensible horizontally at the bottom of the frame and is foldable inside said frame; and a casket-supporting dolly fixed to the outer end of said lazy tongs but movable inside said frame when the lazy tongs is foldable inside.

4. A display rack for caskets and the like comprising, in combination, an open rigid frame-like structure consisting of two generally U-shaped end members lying in vertical parallel planes at opposite ends of said structure; each end member having a lower arm and an upper arm, both parallel and extending horizontally, and the other portion of the end member extending vertically; the two uppermost arms of the two end members being in the same plane and providing spaced fiat supports for a casket; a pair of crossed links rigidly but removably secured at their opposite ends to said uppermost arms below the casket-supporting surfaces thereof; a second pair of crossed links rigidly but removably secured at their opposite ends to the vertical portions of said end members at points intermediate the horizontal arms of said end members; a straight rod rigidly secured to said end members at points somewhat spaced from the bottom of the structure and adjacent the corners where the lower horizontal arm joins the vertical portions of the end members; a lazy tongs having one member fixed to said straight rod and another member slidable on said straight rod, so that the lazy tongs is extensible and contractible in a straight line; and a casket-supporting dolly connected to the outer end of said lazy tongs and movable inside and outside the frame-like structure with the lazy tongs.

5. The invention defined in claim 4, wherein the casketsupporting dolly is an oblong frame adapted to carry an overlying casket in a horizontal position and having wheels or casters secured underneath at each of its four corners, so that the dolly may be supported on a floor and may roll over the floor in a straight line as the dolly is pulled outwardly from the frame-like structure, thereby to facilitate closer inspection of a casket carried by said dolly and movement of the casket out of the way when said inspection has been completed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 814,165 Rea Mar. 6, 1906 841,502 Gale Jan. 15, 1907 842,940 Clark Feb. 5, 1907 1,071,671 McCurdy Aug. 26, 1913 r 2,444,776 Kalning July 6, 1948 

